Thill-support



No'. 623,004. Patented Apr.A III, |899. R. T. GILLESPIE.

-THILL SUPPORT.

(Application Bled May 5, 1898.)

(No Model.)

J W/zefycm m: Noums Psrznsco. No1-Dumm.. WASHINGTON, o. c.

NiTnD .STATES PATENT FFICE.

ROBERT T. GILLESPIE, OF UNIONTOVN, PENNSYLVANIA.

THILL-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part olfV Letters Patent No. 623,004, dated April1 l, 1899.

Application tiled May 5| 1898. Serial No. 679,825. (No model.) f

T0 a/ZZ whom it vmay concern:

Be itknown that I, ROBERT T. GILLESPIE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Uniontown, in the county of Fayette and State ofPennsylvania, have invented or discovered a 'new and useful Improvementin Thill-Supporters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification, in Which- Figure 1 is a perspective viewshowing my invention applied to a dashboard of a buggy. Fig. 1a is aperspective View, detached, showing the inclosing case. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the device, on an enlarged scale,mount ed on thesupporting-frame. Fig. 3 is a face view. Fig. 4 is a cross-section online 1V IV of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 2,showing the arm extended. Fig. 6 is a perspective detail view ot thesliding shoe and supporting-dog. Fig. '7 is a side view showing amodified construction. Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the arm raised.Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the locking-latch. Fig. 10 is aperspective view illustrating a further modification. Fig.llillustratesa still further modification. Fig. 12 shows a modifiedconstruction of securing-latch.

My invention relates to devices for supporting the thills of vehicles,and is particularly intended for use on buggies, carriages, wagons,dre., in the class of vehicles furnished with dashboards.

Referring to the drawings, 2 is the dashboard, with which and with thefloor and frame of the vehicle-bed is incorporated the upright support3, having extended securinglugs 4, secured to the vehicle-base andattached to the cross-bar 5 of the dashboard or in' any other suitablemanner. The frame of the supporting device is composed of outer plates 67, with a central vertical slotted plate 8, to which the outer platesare secured in any suitable manner.

Pivoted at 9 is an outwardly and upwardly swinging arm 10, provided atthe extremity with a hook 11, by which the arm may be raised and whichalso serves to retain the cross-bar of the thills in position. This armthe Hange lying against it,'thus presenting an almost Hat surface.

A vertically-sliding shoe 14 is mounted in a central slot in the plate8, to which is pivotally attached the brace 15 at 16, the other endbeing pivoted to the flange 10 of the ar-m at 17, while thesupporting-dog 18, mounted on the rock-shaft 19, is adapted to fallunder the shoe 14 when raised by action of spring 20, thus supportingthe shoe, brace, and arm in a raised position, as in Fig. 5.

In order to prevent undue movement of the dog 1S either forward or back,a double-ended stop-cam 21 is secured to the shaft 19 and bears againstthe face of the plate, while the lever 22 is secured to the rock-shaftand prowhich means the dog 1S maybe thrown back from engagement with theshoe 14, when the dog, brace, and arm will fall by gravity, assuming theposition shown in Fig. 2'.

A sliding latch 23 is mounted in the arm 10, providedwith bolt 24',adapted to engage a socket in plate 7 and hold the arm in a loweredposition against movement, being thrown back when it is desired to raisethe arm to support the thills, the dog 18 riding over the shoe andfalling under it automatically when the shoe is raised.

' In Fig. 12 I have illustrated a modified construction of latch inwhicha bolt 24" is mounted in the end of arm 10, having a pressurespring33 and tip 34, beveled on both sides, so as to lock or unlock bypressure on the arm 10.

It will be seen that the form of the upright support 3 is made so as toembrace and surround the frame of the swinging arm, the front of thesupport being set somewhat back of the front of the plate 'Z .anddesigned to set against the back of the dashboard, so that IOO of thepivoted latch 26. By this means the arm is secured in a raised orloweredposition, as shown.

In the form illustrated in Fig. l I have shown a swinging bracketconsisting of a pivoted upright 27, mounted in keepers 28, the uprightbeing preferably rectangular and maintained in the quarter positions bya fiat spring 29.

The arm l0 is attached to the upright, supl ported by brace l', and whennot in use is folded against the face of the dashboard and vas to foldup compactly.

The erected position is shown in dotted lines, with the hinged endthrown out to support the cross-bar of the thills.

While I preferthe form iirst illustrated and described, the modifiedconstructions have advantages of cheapness and adaptability to certainconditions of use that will make them available under certaincircumstances.

lt will be understood that a surrounding shield 32 is used to protectthe device from dirt, asin Fig. l, the shield being removed in the otherviews to show the interior.

The operation of my invention is obvious, and itssimplicity, advantages,and usefulness will be appreciated` by those accustomed to the use ofbuggies and other vehicles, as the thills are raised and held up fromthe ground and out of the way in a satisfactory manner, dispensing withthe ilse of props or other supporting devices. Y

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, ls-

l. A supporting device for thills consisting of a frame mounted on asupport secured to the Vehicle-frame, an arm pivotally mounted thereinadapted to be raised to operative position and to be folded down withinthe frame A and means for supporting the arm in an erected position, andfor lowering and securing it Within the frame, substantially as setforth.

2. A supporting device for thills consisting of a pivoted arm a pivotedbrace connected to a sliding shoe, and means for supporting the shoe,substantially .as set forth.

3. A supporting device for thills consisting of a pivoted arm, a pivotedbrace connectedto a sliding shoe, a pivotally-mounted dog adapted toengage the shoe, and means for operating the dog, substantially as setforth. 4. Asupportingdevicefor thills, consisting of a pivoted armprovided with a hook at the end, a vertically-movable slidin g shoe, abrace pivotally connected to the arm and to the shoe, apivotally-mounted dog adapted to sn pport the shoe, a spring forthrowing the dog into engagement and an operating-arm for releasing thedog from engagement, substantially as set forth.

5. A supporting device for thills consisting of a pivoted arm providedwith a hook at the end, avertically-movable sliding shoe, abi-acepivotally connected to the arm and to the K shoe, a pivotally-mou nte'ddog adapted to support the shoe, a spring for throwing the dog intoengagement, a stop-cam for limiting the movement 0f the dog, and anoperating-arm `for releasing the dog from engagement, substantially asset'forth.

6. In combination with an arm pivoted in a frame and provided with anadjustable sliding brace, a support for the frame secured to the base ofthe vehicle, substantially as set Witnesses:

J. I. MILLER, A. B. CLIFFORD.

